Social media users and women’s rights groups have called for action after a lady police officer from Cambodia was forced to tender a public apology for breastfeeding her baby while on duty.
The matter came to the fore after a picture showing the lady police officer breastfeeding her child went viral on social media. . Later, it emerged that the officer was publicly shamed by her seniors for her act and told to apologise. Her superiors compelled her to issue a public apology. The lady cop was also forced to sign an agreement stating she won’t repeat the act.
This has triggered an outcry on social media with people calling for protection of women’s rights in Cambodia. Social media users criticized the Women’s Affairs Ministry for failing to stand up for women in the country.
Later, Cambodia’s Women’s Affairs Ministry, later wrote an open letter in support of the lady officer. The letter stated that the lady police officer did not express any sexiness in the photograph in order to attract attention like some online vendors.
‘We should ensure that lady policewomen like her have adequate opportunities to look after their children. We should compliment and encourage them,’ the letter stated.